Wherever the Wind May Take You
by Sacred Sakura
Summary: After Vivi leaves Alabasta, her adventures take her to the kin of her dead friend Nakiyo...and dangerous emotions that only one person can stop. eventual VivixKohza
1. Ch 1 A Brief Farewell

_**Wherever the Wind May Take You  
**_**A One Piece Fan Fiction  
****By Sacred Sakura**

**First Conceptualized/Written: 4/2/2007  
****Published: 4/3/2007**

**Rating: T  
****Genre: Angst/Romance  
****Pairing: Vivi x Kohza...eventually...  
****Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece; Oda-sensei does. I wish I did, though. However, this story and all characters not original to One Piece do belong to me.**

**Dedication: To nomadd77, who posed this challenge to the members of the "Be a Pirate!" roleplay. I'm sorry I couldn't do a One-Shot, but that's just how this fic turned out. And…TO MY WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL REVIEWERS!!! (Please review more.)**

**A/N: It may take a while for me to update this ficlet, since I want to work on updating my other, LONG-overdue fanfics... --;;  
****Please review! They're my only sustenance these days…**

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Chapter One: A Brief Farewell **

"Nakiyo..." As soon as the whispered name escaped her lips, she cringed, huddling further into a small ball. The pain, the sadness, the loneliness involved with that name tried to engulf her, smothering her in unwanted remembrances. Would she ever be able to utter it again, without suffering torment and mental anguish from the deluge of memories unbidden?

"It's my fault. You knew that. You told me it wasn't, but I saw the look in your eyes. You tried to shield me from guilt...but I'd already blamed myself for it." She reached out, running her fingers over the cool gray tombstone. They slowly traced over the inscriptions, kanji by kanji, kana by kana. "I still do."

She pressed her fist against her mouth, fighting back the tears that threatened to send her back down that well of despair she had fallen into years before. The nails of her left hand dug hard into the cool soil, tearing, bleeding.

There was no mistake. **She** was the guilty party. **She** was the one who had dragged him to Breaker's Cliff, sickly though he was. **She** was the one who had, in carelessness and fear, in selfish self-preservation, accidentally let go of his hand when they slipped on loose sand.

"Gomen, Nakiyo...!" She grit her teeth, hoarsely forcing the words out. "Gomen...!!"

The wetness that trickled down her cheeks did not subside until the pale lavender moon had crossed over to the other side of the heavens overhead.

"I...will be leaving for a while. I don't know how long. But it's for the sake of my country." She paused. "**Our** country."

She rose, slinging a burlap bag over her shoulder, making sure not to let her aquamarine-blue hair get caught underneath the strap. She blew a gentle kiss that flew beyond the grave, soaring over the quietly lapping waters of the midnight ocean.

Then she set off for the small boat at the shore, where Igaram waited.

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**Hmm... It's gonna take a while for the plot to develop. Gomen. Please review!!!**


	2. Ch 2 Smooth Infiltration, Transitions

_**Wherever the Wind May Take You  
**_**A ****One Piece**** Fan Fiction  
****By Sacred Sakura**

**Conceptualized/Written: 7/14,18,30/2007  
****Published: 7/30/2007**

**Rating: T  
****Genre: Angst/Romance  
****Pairing: Vivi x Kohza...eventually... VERY eventually...  
****Disclaimer: I don't own ****One Piece****; Oda-sensei does. I wish I did, though. However, this story and all characters not original to ****One Piece**** do belong to me.**

**Dedication: TO MY WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL REVIEWERS!!! (Please review more.) That includes fireyhotspot, devia911, nomadd77, and Nehz-chan!!! Thank you all!!! (I'm sorry it took so long to update...)**

**A/N: Ughhh... It's not fun juggling SIX fanfictions, especially with my already busy schedule... (cries) It may take a while for me to update this ficlet again, since I want to work on updating my other, LONG-overdue fanfics... --;; Sorry for the short chapter... Blame writer's block...**

**Please review! They're my only sustenance these days…**

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**Chapter Two: Smooth Infiltration, Transitions**

It was a chilly morning the day two Baroque Works applications were turned in at 9 o' clock to the Yuri Island Baroque Works Office of Admissions. The green-haired clerk wanted more than anything to go back home and snuggle among the covers of her warm bed. But no, she had to review useless applications that more likely than not would wind up being thrown carelessly into the wastebasket after **hours** of wasted inspection. What fun.

With a resigned sigh, she reluctantly picked up the first bundle while running a hand through her short bob haircut.

"'Name: Igarappoi,'" she read. "'Age: 42. Gender: Male. Hobbies/Interests: Hair-curling, serving leaders (especially princesses), voice exercises, cross-dressing. Goals: Assisting leaders in quest to end civil unrest and country turmoil. Qualifications/Experience: Worked as captain of royal guard for many years. Skilled in concealed firearms. Weaponry: Saxo-rifle and Curler-ammo. Past Bounties Captured: None. How You Will Contribute to the Organization's Pursuit of Utopia: Help leaders create world peace.'"

She stared at the photo for a moment. Depicted was a middle-aged man with an apparent obssession with curling his hair and possessing what to her looked like a blank stare.

"Creepy-looking guy, but everything else seems to fit our criteria," she noted, flipping through the rest of the application. "All we need is an interview, by the looks of it."

She moved on to the second app. "'Name: Nefelta Vivian. Age: 13. Gender: Female. Hobbies/Interests: World peace, making sure no one else gets hurt. Goals: WORLD PEACE. Qualifications/experiences: Was taught how to defend myself and kill assassins by my mentor. Instinctive ability to evade attacks. Weaponry: Kujakki Slashers, Enchanting Vertigo/Perfume Dances, Run Back (with help of Carue). Past Bounties Captured: None. How You Will Contribute to the Organization's Pursuit of Utopia: Fight for world peace.'" She flipped through the other pages before finally returning to the photo paperclipped to the cover letter: a pale-faced beauty with long turquoise hair swept up into a luxurious ponytail. Troubled yet determined pale gray eyes stared back at her.

"Well, she seems more qualified than the last one." Stamping both applications with a green-inked "PROCESSED," she then tossed them into the INTERVIEW pile before proceeding on to the next set of applications.

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_**INTERVIEW.**_

There was no doubt at all that **that** word was stamped on the two notices in his hand. He rubbed his eyes just to be sure, just to be certain, and read the card again.

_**INTERVIEW**_  
REQUESTED FOR THE FOLLOWING CONSIDERED APPLICANTS:

IGARAPPOI, male, age 42

NEFELTA VIVIAN, female, age 13

**"VIVI—**_**mah-mah**_**—**_**VIVIAN**_**-SAMA!!! **_**Mah-mah-ahem.**_** We made it!!! Our—**_**mah**_**—interview is two days from today!!!"**

**"Really? Igara—no, **_**Igarappoi**_**, this is wonderful news!"**

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"Hello!" greeted the brunet-haired man cheerfully as he bowed and planted a kiss on Vivian's extended hand. "My name is King Majesty! It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Secretary's Day!"

"Is your name truly 'King Majesty'?" asked the aquamarine-haired young woman as she fought her eye's urge to twitch in disbelief.

"Nope!" The man laughed. "I may wear a crown, but I'm no king! Call me Mr. 39!"

"Well, Mr. 39, it is a pleasure to be working with you." The young girl smiled warmly. "We are departing tomorrow, correct? What was the name of the island?"

"Ah! Yes! Of course!" Mr. 39 pulled out a crumpled wad of papers from his back pocket and attempted to leaf through them. "Let's see...we board Tuesday morning on the _Wasurena-Go_, destined for a bounty town known as...'Memory Void.'"

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**Hmm... Again, it's gonna take a while for the plot to develop. Gomen. And yes, Kohza will be getting some content in the next chapter! Hooray! Next update: end of September.**

**Please review!!!**

**Clarifications and review replies:**

**Yuri Island****: Meaning "Lily Island," this island has no so far known significance to the story. I just made it up on the spot 'cause I needed to. (raspberry) Oh, and to clear up any confusion, Yuri Island is one of many BW Office of Admissions; the title just automatically comes after the island's name. If you have no idea what I'm babbling about, just ignore me.**

**Igaram and Vivi's stats****: I TOTALLY MADE THEM UP. (raspberry)**

**Mr. 39****: Total fanon, this is my version of Mr. 9 before Whiskey Peak. I hope I did him justice in such a short space.**

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**Nehszriah****—I'm workin' on it. :)**

**nomadd77****—Oh, okay, no pressure...yeah...no pressure at all...**

**devia911****—And here it is!**

**fireyhotspot****—Thanks!**


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